Richie Power reckons the All Stars are a ‘joke’ in their present format and should be picked by the players – not journalists.
The Kilkenny great and eight-time All-Ireland winner questioned Limerick midfielder Will O’Donoghue’s omission from the 2020 line-up.
And he claimed nominating Cian Lynch as a midfielder and picking him in the team as a forward ruins the credibility of the scheme.
Two-time All Star Power told KCLR’s The Clash Act podcast: “I think we’ve seen in the last couple of years, in both football and hurling, where it’s just become a joke really.
“For me, the final nail in the coffin when it came to the All-Stars was the placing of Colm Cavanagh at full-back on the football All-Stars team three years ago. He played every game in the middle of the field but they fitted him into the team.
“This year’s team, I think Will O’Donoghue is very, very hard done by that he wasn’t in the middle of the field for Limerick. I thought he had a fantastic year and he lost out.”
He believes the All Stars should be picked by inter-county players and that 45 players should be shortlisted every year, three for each position.
Power said of the current more fluid process: “To me, I think it makes a joke of the whole thing.”
Limerick won nine All-Stars last month and Power is convinced they can dominate for several years, like his own Kilkenny team did.
Power added: “I didn’t think we’d see a team again that might dominate for a few years at intercounty level. We’re seeing it in football with Dublin but I certainly didn’t see it happening in hurling.
“Looking at it now, it’s looking like that could happen with this Limerick side.”
